Le dernier Zeppelin (Miklo)
Le dernier Zeppelin (The Last Zeppelin) was the sixth in a series of graphic novels published in French by the Belgian publisher Emissions Lefrancq from 1990 onwards. This sixth title was the second to feature a plot which was not based on a novel by W.E. Johns. The story was written by Michel Oleffe and the artwork was drawn by Eric Loutte. For this and the next few titles, he followed closely the style set by Bergèse, for example, with the same attention to detail and authenticity in the aircraft depicted. Oleffe and Loutte however, continued experimenting. Besides plenty of action and aircraft, there are many touches of humour. Bertie, for example, appears in drag at a 666 Sqn reunion. Zeppelin was republished by Miklo (1999) and Lombard (2003). The volume numbers differ because the publishers put out their reprints in a different order from Lefrancq. The title was not translated into English until 2007 when Euro Books (India) published one under the title The Last Zeppelin. The events in the book take place mainly in Egypt. Synopsis A valuable experimental prototype disappears from an airfield in Egypt under mysterious circumstances--its tanks had been empty, and no one heard it take off. The sentries at the airfield appear all to have been gassed and amnesiac and there are patches of wet sand in an area that hasn't seen any rain for a long time. Plot Note: The sections below contain spoilers. In particular, the plot subpage (click here) has an extended summary of the narrative in the book Characters The Special Air Police *Air Commodore Raymond - he seemed to have been demoted to "Group Captain" *Biggles *Algy Lacey *Ginger Hebblethwaite *Bertie Lissie Others *Assorted R.A.F. personnel at El Nuhûd **Winslow **Dillingford **Watson **Williams **Terry *Sergeant Warren *Roscoe *Hosni Yaffaoui *Youssouf *Flying Officer Edward Soames *Flight Lieutenant Harris *Lord Archibald Donington *Anatoly von Chovanetz Aircraft *Avro 707B - serial VX790 *Douglas DC-3 - belonging to Misrair, registration SU-AJM *De Havilland Dragon Rapide *North American T-6 Harvard - serial FT366 *Supermarine Spitfire *Avro Anson - serial EG228 *De Havilland Tiger Moth *Avro Lancastrian - Ginger arrives at El Nuhûd on board one. *Hawker Hurricane *Zeppelin *Convair CV-580 Ships *''Maxim Gorky'' Places Visited *London **The Merry Mermaid Pub *Egypt **El Nuhud **Cairo **Suez **Radoub Mentioned *Egypt **Djerbel **Ismailia **Port Said **Quesir **Adabiya *Odessa Research Notes *Touches of realism **the serial numbers on the aircraft were really used on actual machines of the type.RAF aircraft serials **Misrair was the forerunner of Egyptair. Biggles, Algy and Bertie arrive in Caïro on board a Misrair DC-3. There really was a Misrair DC-3 with the registration SU-AJM. This was in service 1957-1962.Misrair fleet This would be a little late. By 1957, the Canal Zone was no longer in existence, and most of the important trials of the Avro 707B took place in the early 1950s. VX790 was damaged in 1956 and subsequently scrapped. **There really was a Zeppelin LV 130 which really did conduct electronic surveillance off the British coast in 1939. LV 131 was under construction at that time. In 1940 Goering ordered both to be scrapped. **Biggles meets the harbour master at Suez inside an ornate building which accurately depicts the building of the Suez Canal Authority. References to the past *Algy compares searching the desert with endlessly searching the Minch--something they had done in Le vol du Wallenstein. Incongruities Chronology The text states clearly that the events take place in Egypt in 1950. Editions References Category:Derivative works